TTD hikes salaries for contract, outsourced staff from Dec 1

 Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) finally hiked the salaries of the contract and outsourced employees working in various departments including the religious staff in its temples located in Tirupati, Tirumala and other places.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at the TTD trust board meeting held at Tirumala on Tuesday and the revision of salaries will come to effect from December 1 benefitting about 7,200 employees working on contract and outsourcing basis.

However, the decision disappointed the workers working under facility manage ment services (providers) numbering about 7,000 in TTD as the hike is not applicable to them, though they are the ones mainly responsible for the health and sanitation taking up tasks like cleaning and maintenance crucial for the pilgrims visiting Tirumala for darshan of Lord Venkateswara.

Briefing the media on the deliberations and decisions taken at the trust board meeting, chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav said that the monthly salary was hiked by Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,500 in all three categories unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled contract and outsourcing employees. 

Accordingly, salary of the unskilled outsourcing and contract employees which is Rs 7,500 now is increased to Rs 10,000, 10,500 and 11,000 grade wise.

While the semi-skilled employees’ salary which is now Rs 9,500 is enhanced to Rs 11,000, 11,500 and 12,000 grade wise and the skilled employees’ salary from Rs 11,000 to 12000, 12,500 and 13,000.

TTD Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal clarified that the hike is an incentive being extended by the TTD as a token of its gesture to the contract and outsourcing employees rendering hard work in the service of pilgrims, till they get increase as per the government order which is pending.

The TTD as a quasi government institution has to follow the GOs issued time to time by the government, he explained. Singhal informed that the hike will result in additional monthly expenditure of about Rs 1 crore to the TTD. 

The other decisions taken at the board meeting include approval of tenders for Rs 3.77 crore towards beautification works of temple tank (Pushkarini), and also Rs 42.71 crore for development works at Avilala tank on Tirupati outskirts.